Running voice over Cat5; which wires do I use?

[MichaelD]

I know it doesn't really matter what wires, as long as I keep the color scheme the same, but what wires are "standard?" Thank you.

 

[DnetMHZ]

on 4 pin RJ11 jacks I have always used blue/blue white for line one (center pins) and orange/orange white for line 2 (outer pins)

DnetMHZ

 

[ScottMac]

First: The pair order matters, not so much for voice, but someday you may decide you'll need that line for high-speed data. Use the standard pair order (either 568a or 568b).

Second, for voice, for the first phone line, use pins 4&5, which will be the blue pair. The second phone line wold be on 3&6, which (if cabled 568a - the way the phone company like it) would be the orange pair. The third phone line would be on 1&2 (green pair), and phone line four will be on the brown pair.

Holding the cable such that the connector clip is down/away from you, starting on the left:

568A: white-green, green, white-orange, blue, white-blue, orange, white-brown, brown.
568B: white-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown.

It take the same amount of effort to do it the right way. Follow the spec. Either one, it doesn't really matter. If the cable is "fer sher" gonna always be a phone line, then use 568a. Many/most/all of the consumer networking components are labeled for 568B. If you're cabling the house for voice and data, pick one standard and stay with it to avoid confusion

Good Luck

Scott

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks very much, ScottMac and dnetmhz.

I will be wiring the house with 568B. I'll be running 3 pieces of Cat5e to each room. Two for data and one for phone (only will have one phone line). But, the "phone line" may not always be for phone; I'd like to keep my options open...mini LAN party in each room..hey, it could happen! :beer:

Accordingly, I'll follow your instructions. Thanks again.

 

[skyking]

(only will have one phone line)

Setting it up all the same means adding a second or third phone line is a piece of cake.
Keep in mind you can also send analog or digital audio over that cable too, with adapters. Like from your sound card to an entertainment system in another room.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: skyking

(only will have one phone line)

Setting it up all the same means adding a second or third phone line is a piece of cake.
Keep in mind you can also send analog or digital audio over that cable too, with adapters. Like from your sound card to an entertainment system in another room.

I've always wondered how they did that. How would I send digital audio from my PC to a digital input on my HT receiver? SPIDF-out...to some kind of SPDIF--->Ethernet adapter? And the same, but reversed on the other end? What product does that?

 

[skyking]

soldering iron

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: skyking
soldering iron

Dude....that's not an answer.

Can someone answer my "adapter" question?

 

[skyking]

Really, I was serious. Get the proper ends and cable, and go to town. I make that kind of thing whenever i can't find it.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: skyking
Really, I was serious. Get the proper ends and cable, and go to town. I make that kind of thing whenever i can't find it.

Whooops. My bad.

OK, I am capable of doing that.

SPDIF is 1/8" mini jack out...a signal and a ground (core and jacket on the connector). Which pair of wires do I use on the Cat5...if I say "it doesn't matter" I'm sure I'll stick my foot in my mouth again! :wine: <--washes foot taste out of mouth.

Then on the other end at the receiver, I just solder on whatever digital connector (most prolly an RCA for Digital Coaxial In) I need?

It can't be that simple.

 

[skyking]

ain't it grand?? you can do anything that does not require amperage over cat5. Speaker feeds are a bit much

 

[MichaelD]

OK, cool. Is the methodology I described above how it works? (the solder "this to that" description?)

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
OK, cool. Is the methodology I described above how it works? (the solder "this to that" description?)

Match up the colors and you are golden. I will be running a sound card output to my stereo later this way.

 

[cmetz]

Guys, there's a minor detail you're forgetting: characteristic impedence. When you mismatch, you get reflections, which means lower signal quality. And if memory serves it's a frequency dependent function. For short runs, if quality doesn't matter THAT much, you can get away with a lot, but normally you need to use a balun to connect this stuff together and compensate for these effects.